Improvement in top-prop operators



e. N. SPINK.

TOP PROP OPERATOR. No. 177,170. Patented May 9,1876.

NJEYERS, PHDTO-LITHOGRAPMEIL WASHINGTOP', D. C.

NITED STATES PATENT QFFIC'E.

GEORGE N. SPINK, OF BELLONA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOP-PROP OPERATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,170, dated May 9,1876; application filed March 13, I876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE N. SPINK, ofBellona, in the county of Yates and -State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Garriage-Top-Prop Operators, whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following specification, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to forman operator that will bend thetop-prop ot' a carriage-top, so that the top may be let down; also, whenthe top is put up, the prop may, with the same operator, be set inposition to hold the top up. The handle of the operator comes within thecarriage-top, so that a person may, while sitting on the seat, take holdot'it and actuate it, to raise and lower the top of the carriage,without reaching through or around the top to get hold of the props tobend them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the seat, prop,top-bow, and operator. Fig. 2 is a plan of the operator.

A is'the side of the seat, to which the topprop and bows of thecarriage-top are attached in any ordinary manner. B is a section of oneof the top-bows, to which the prop is usually applied. It is made andattached as" other bows are. U is the prop, ordinarily constructed, andis applied in the usual way. This prop-bow O and seat A are used to showhow the operator D is applied, and how it actuates the top-prop. D isthe operator. The end that comes inside the carriage-top is made in theform of a handle, or any shape that will be convenient to take hold of.From the handle portion it passes through the clasp.

that holds it to the bow B, and is then bent downward in the directionof the prop G to near its joint, and is then bent around the prop, sothat it may act two ways upon the prop to straighten or bend it. Thepart that is applied to the prop is provided with a lining or coveringof rubber, leather, or anyother material, to prevent wear and rattlingwhen the carriage is in motion,

The shape of the operator is represented in Fig. 2. The handle may bebent in any desired direction from the clasp; but, generally, it shouldbe turned upward to be out of the 'way of persons heads, so that bypulling it .backward it will set the prop to hold the top up, and bypushing it forward it will bend the prop to let the top down. Anoperator should be applied to each side of the carriage-top.

E is the clasp that holds the operator D to the bow B. It is made in twoparts, held together by a bolt passing through them. The clasp surroundsthe bow, and at one side is provided with a set-bolt to hold it to thebow where required, and also prevents any rattling. The operator Dpasses through the holes in the sides of the clasp. These holes are madeto hook aroundthe operator D, as shown in Fig. l, and thus hold-it inproper position.

The clasp and operator may be'applied to the carriage-bow without anychange or alteration of the bow or prop, and without holes through thebow to weaken it, and without any change of top prop or braces, and theymay be applied to new or old tops without changing or removing .anytrimmings.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with the carriage-top bow B and prop G, the clasp E andoperator D, constructed and applied to actuate the prop G, in the mannerand for the purpose herein set forth.

GEORGE N. SPINK.

Witnesses D. A. OGDEN, CHARLES KETGHUM.

